With the retirement (again) of Utah defensive coordinator John Pease last month, Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham swiftly promoted safeties coach Morgan Scalley -- a former Utah player and an assistant since 2008 -- to the position. The Pac-12 blog caught up with Scalley for his thoughts on the state of Utah’s defense, his new gig and the softening of the BYU rivalry. (Note: Some responses have been shortened with Scalley’s permission.)
You’ve coached the safeties since 2008 and helped shepherd the team from the Mountain West into the Pac-12. What was the biggest defensive adjustment you guys had to make to start being competitive in this conference?